Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Catholic Church responds to calls for a "Narco" truce.

(Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images)A woman and her granddaughter shot and killed by gunmen in Acapulco on March 15th. In an editorial released last Saturday, the Catholic Church laid the responsibility for the bloodshed on criminals and drug traffickers and not the government “fighting against this social scourge.”

The Catholic Church in Mexico issued a response to last week’s demonstrations against the violence and calls for a Narco truce. The demonstrations were fueled in part by the murder of a group of young people in the sity of Cuernavaca, Morelos.

Among the victims was the son of the poet Javier Sicilia, who has called for a pact with the drug cartels to end the violence affecting increasing areas of the country.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico City stated its position in the debate on how to diminish the violence through an unsigned editorial in its magazine "Desde la Fe” (From the Faith).

"Amid expressions of indignation and grief we must always retain clarity: it is the murderers, drug traffickers, organized crime, that we denounce strongly and not those who fight against this social scourge,"

Complaints to the authorities should be in terms of improving and strengthening the strategy of the fight against criminals, but not in asking them to stop, the editorial suggested. .

The statement, entitled "Rejection of criminals", added that there are corrupt officials associated with criminals that should resign immediately, but there many more committed to ending the violence. "To them we give our appreciation," proposed the editorial.

Asking the Government to withdraw the army from the streets now, said the editorial, would not work because there is no police force yet that can deal with drug trafficking gangs. “It is useless to ask that not one more drop of blood be shed if we can’t find the people responsible for this outrage.”

The editorial reminded the public that during the "International Drug Enforcement Conference" held recently in Cancun, the vast majority of people polled said they were aware that this is a long and difficult struggle, but with one goal: to never allow the criminals to rise above the states and it’s citizens.

It also criticized the United States for its lack of awareness that they are the main causes of this serious problem: It has a population that consumes the largest amount of drugs in the world, an arms industry that produces and sells destructive weapons to the narcos and a culture and values system that is too permissive.

"It is a country that knows how to pressure others but does very little inside its own territory," the editorial charged.

Given this scenario, the editorial called on the public to not lose the ability to feel outrage at the inhumane death of many innocent people, and called on society to commit to building a better environment and recover the space that crime has stolen.

25 comments:

"It also criticized the United States for its lack of awareness that they are the main causes of this serious problem: It has a population that consumes the largest amount of drugs in the world, an arms industry that produces and sells destructive weapons to the narcos and a culture and values system that is too permissive."

Kiss my red white and blue American ass, Mexico has created ALL of its own problems and its time they put on their big boy pants and took responsibility for their own creations instead of trying to pass them off onto another country, its pathetic... If the U.S. was to stop buying drugs today that would not change a thing within Mexico... All the psychopaths committing the atrocities against the Mexican people are MEXICANS, Hello! Is anybody home?

It just so happens the U.S. is the closest to Mexico so of course they try to lay their trash at its door step... What a crock of shit...

The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico, even with its diminished importance culturally, needs to play its moral authority card better than this - asking for a truce with the narcos is a concession that the government shouldn't take. In my opinion the RCC should focus on establishing more Casas de Regeneración (Rehab Centers) and expand more churches into the poorer colonias to minister to the people. Some narcos still have a high level of respect for the Church and the leaders should keep this in mind.

I for one wouldn't listen to anything this child molesting bunch has to say, the facts are " catholi priests" have destroyed more innocent kids than all the innocent people every cartel in mexico has ever killed x10! And why blame the U.S.? It's the greed of your citizens and public officials that refuse to do anything about the cartels except protect them, oh you arrest them, hold a big press conference and then chuaffer them right back to their safe houses free to go, or you get the higher bribe from chapo so you kill a zeta, and sometimes the zetas pay you more so you kill a gulf cartel member, and when the cartels really pay you the big bribes, you bring in your death squad military and kill the "BIGGER FISH". You make me sick!

Maby the church can perform a giant exorcisment and remove the evil from the criminal army that is feeding on Mexico,but the narcos might stop contributing money,so guess that won't work. Best to stck with the matra US DRUG USE,US GUNS,US INTERFERENCE,US WILL INVADE,etc. etc.

That the US has great fault in this is 100% true; however, Mexico has to accept that corruption has created the majority of this. Both Governments need to man-up and accept their faults and responsibilities and work together because all this is affecting both countries.

Hey 6:28 am....did you read the article? The Church is NOT calling for a truce. They are "responding to calls for a truce" by the protestors backing Javier Sicilia.

There is no question at all that the US market drives the drug cartels. But that is not the only market. Look to the fact that cartel members have been arrested in Europe and Africa recently.

The issue of guns is very valid as well. The US needs to understand that ready availability of these semi-auto weapons can come back to bite you. But if the guns don't come from the US, the cartels will get them from China, Guatemala or elsewhere. It just won't be as easy or cheap, but they will get them.

Finally, the comment about the US not doing much within their own country is true too. But what exactly is Mexico doing about their corrupt politicians, police, military and judicial system that protects these criminals? It is the pot calling the kettle black.

Mexico's problems are Mexican born. Born of decades of corruption. Yes, the US market plays a part but let's not distract from the real Mexican issues that bred this crime and corruption.

If it is all the fault of the US, why don't we see the crime and violence like this in the US. Mexico's problems belong to Mexico and they need to take ownership of it rather than blaming others.

"It also criticized the United States for its lack of awareness that they are the main causes of this serious problem: It has a population that consumes the largest amount of drugs in the world, an arms industry that produces and sells destructive weapons to the narcos and a culture and values system that is too permissive."

I thought we were blaming the crimininals? The Catholic Church in Mexico needs to stop supporting the socialists policies in Mexico (Socialism is a Catholic Heresy) and start supporting the citizens right to own the means to defend himself (perfectly in line with Catholic teaching).

The Catholic Church blaming the US is like a child molester ordering the murderers in prison around. What a joke. We should bomb the Vatican for them allowing all these perverts to have sex with American kids and then cover it up.

Anonymous said...Blame the US...you patheic mexican losers...just dont try swimming over here then....by the way I'm hispanic....a proud Texan(born and Raised).... but embarresed by my ancestors in old Mex.-----------------------------Son, you should be worried about your education!! You are not Hispanic nor Mexican. You should just claim you are anglo. Its embarrassing to see people like you who are confused and ignorant. Educate yourself and take a class in Mexican-American history. Even though they do not teach it (why not since Mexican-Americans is the majority in Texas), we have a rich history here in Tejas. ---------------------------------- Anonymous said... The Catholic Church blaming the US is like a child molester ordering the murderers in prison around. What a joke. We should bomb the Vatican for them allowing all these perverts to have sex with American kids and then cover it up.------------How old are you... 15???

I fully agree with you, I'm a proud CHICANO myself and it sickens me to see that my barrio has been turned from nothing but working-class Chicanos living in nice houses to "little Mexico" filled with cheap trailers in the span of a decade. And the reason why Chicanos don't like Mexicanos? It's because the Mexicanos only help and support their own (i.e. illegals), so fuk em.

@ 1:30 and @ 9:22 you are all w%tb#cks according to the right wingers it does not matter if you have lived here all your life. i for one will never forget my roots. im american first but i'll never forget where i came from just like the irish, italians and every other ethnic group.

So I suppose if the US legalized all drugs the various gangs and cartels would simply drop their weapons? If the U.S slowed the flow of guns, they would simply give up and not get them elsewhere (i.e. Eastern Europe, Asia)? The problem is real, complex and has multiple causes, not just US policy and guns.

So does that mean because I am Mexican I am a Narco? Seems so by your standard of logic. All priests are not child molesters that is ridiculous.

In my work with Central American migrants in Mexico I have learned one thing, if not for the priests courageously building and operating migrant shelters far more would be killed. They give them shelter and food and resources and information that provides a better hope for safety. This comes with a price...jail, beatings and even death while serving. It is not an easy life serving in countries with great violence, shame on you for such a prejudicial assumption.

This narco crap in Mexico will never, I repeat never be stopped unless the US military intervenes. I live in Nuevo Laredo and work in Laredo, Texas. The cartels literally control all of Nuevo Laredo and extort businesses and kill at will. Let's stop all this BS about America being responsible and take some action. All of us Mexican citizens would give everything to have the US military come in and kill all of these cartel bastards. Get out of Afghanistan and come here where you can actually do some good. This will never happen because Calderon is a pinche pendejo. Never happen.

I'd love to see some of our American military snipers take up strategic positions in the cartel zones and pick off these cartel bastards one at a time....wreak total havoc....let the Marines go on night patrols with night vision goggles and systematically take all of these punk ass losers out.......

Look in the mirror. Ur r a Mexican. Think about ur parents or ur grandparents. Think about how embarrassed they would feel, knowing ur ideology. Think about the harassment and and scrutiny they went took. Now u r just being ungrateful, u seem to forget about their struggle. All to give u what u have now...a roof over ur head, a education. So when they cross the border it is to improve themselves and the lives of their children. U cant blame them for trying to better themselves. I'm Mexican and I won't forget where I came from.

Nice Sr! Very nice. I am not getting his ancestors comment it does not make sense,

9:22 AM"Blame the US...you patheic mexican losers...just dont try swimming over here then....by the way I'm hispanic....a proud Texan(born and Raised).... but embarresed by my ancestors in old Mex"

ancestors have a precise definition of generations further than grandparents, so you are hating your deseased family members? and why? That is stunning and disgusting. WHat you see occuring in Mx is committed by a small percentage of a race of people. A beautiful race with a rich culture and history. I personally hate the term HISPANIC,,and my paternal grandfather was a criollo.

You can hate the acts of a few without hating the whole. You are a bigot if you think that way. and perhaps you are. But our families struggled so that we could reap the benefits afforded us by being born in the greatest country in the world. But being Mexican is as relevant as being American. I am a proud, patriotic American but Mexican defines me, for I could have been born in China, Africa, Iceland...but I would remain Mexican no matter where I would be born.

Do they show Dr Phil in Mexico?? Like he say you cannot fix your problem if you don't aknowledge you have one...Don't cry about the guns going to mexico...your corruption lets them pass thru...If the USA is your problem why don't you close your fucking bridges and see if we giva a fuck. corruption has always been Mexicos problem. The greed for money. They serve the God of money, they will sell their own mother for a twenty dollar bill,

The innocent people of Mexico do not deserve this!we all need to pray for mexico that God may heal their land.

everyone has a fault in this fucking problem.. down to the heroin/coke addict in the US, dirty politicians in mexico, scumbag cartel members all of them . weapons dealers in the US and the assholes that buy them in mexico and it goes on and on. just one big pile of shit and we dont know what to do with it